Mabon Mysteries

Buddhism tells us that the major cause of suffering is attachment to the permanency of anything. The sabbat of Mabon reminds us of this.
By Red Phoenix.

The Wheel turns once more. Mabon has come, and it is time for harvest - for cutting the old and for resting; for meditation and reflection.

As the Wheel turns, I accept the gifts and consequences of Mabon - the bounties and fruits of my labor, and the consequences of the seeds that I've planted in spring. As the Wheel turns, I also accept the changes that come.

Yes.

Changes. Transformations. Metamorphoses.

These words are familiar to me, yet they bring about a sense of uncertainty, an excitement that leaves me with ecstasy and pain, of fire and ice. For change means throwing away what I have been accustomed to, giving up what has given me comfort… and pain. For as Mabon comes, I know that Change will come, and with Her coming, shall she yield her scythe to cut down everything I hold dear, and everything I yearn to throw away.

What would She cut? And what would She leave? What would be consumed and burned in Her cauldron? And what would be left? What would be sacrificed? And what would be spared?

These thoughts bring about a sense of both dread and anxiety, of stimulation and thrill. For the past few months, I have planted my seeds - both good and bad. And over time, I have, unconsciously and consciously, bore witness as the seeds, my children, grow into fruition. Friendships have turned into romance. Platonic love has become sensual. And yet, now is the time to let go of these certainties, to surrender everything to the Goddess.

Why? Why should these have to be sacrificed? Why should these have to be burned? Can't I, at least, save one certainty? Can I not hold on to one constant, and have it for the rest of my life?

The answer, I have discovered, is no. I cannot. For nothing is really constant in this world, save for change. Everything swirls in the Cauldron of Life, and nothing really remains the same. Every little thing we hold on to gets burned, and the wax and ashes are molded to form new life.

I have bore witness to such, for with the good comes the bad. Though I have had my fair share of fruits and harvest, I have had also my share of rotten apples and disappointments. One case in point, my friendship with one person that I thought would last forever has slowly crumbled, deteriorating at a pace that sickens and scares me. I have, with everything that I hold dear, believed that we would remain friends forever, that maybe, sooner or later, it would flower into something more exciting, since the seeds have been planted and nurtured.

However, what happened was not what I have been expecting it to be. The idea that I have held on to for so long dissipated in a wisp of smoke, vanishing as mist into light. Pain and anguish engulfed me, for I have had that notion for months. I have expected and expected, holding on to the idea for so long, believing in it too much, only to have it go in vain.

Had I not held on to that idea, had I not believed in its permanence, I would have avoided the pain and sorrow. If only I had allowed Change to enter my life, instead of fighting Her, resisting Her, I would have grown out of it.

We, as human beings, love to hold on to the permanence of things. We hold on dearly to an ideal, practical or otherwise, believing that if we remain to cling to it, it will be so, sooner or later. Yet what we do not know, or perhaps have not realized, is that if we cling on to the permanence of things, we do not grow - we do not change. We halt the gifts of Change; we halt our growth.

Now, the time has come to cleanse ourselves of this trait, of this belief. Now that Mabon has come, let us light a fire, and purify ourselves of such beliefs. Let us accept Change and burn whatever it is that holds us back - negative traits, failed relationships, unfulfilled dreams. Burn the "what could have been's" and focus on the "what could be." Sacrifice to Change the "what should have happened," and look at the "what should be done."

For through Change, we grow. And as we grow, wisdom and light surrounds us. Yes, it is painful to give up the beliefs and dreams that we have grown accustomed to, the ideals that we hold on to; yet, we must also think of the present. Being constricted by the past hampers our development.

"The caterpillar who refuses to build a cocoon and is afraid to enter it can never be a butterfly."

About the Author: RED PHOENIX or known in the mundane world as Chris Lee, has been studying the Craft for 6 years now, being interested in elements and faeries, nature and magical beings. As of the time of writing, he is taking up a Psychology course at De La Salle University. Living mundanely, he loves to read and write. He holds a close group of friends and tries to look at things in life on a more positive perspective.

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